Reflecting sign



Sept. 25, 1934. w LUCE 1,974,575

REFLECTING SIGN Filed July 18, 1933 @QQDQQD 2 Q ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 25, 1934 PATENT OFFICE REFLECTING SIGN Richard W. Luce, Westfield, N. J., assignor to Signal Service Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application July 18, 1933, Serial No. 680,986

' 1 Claim. (c1. 40-130) The invention herein disclosed relates to light reflecting signs of the type which reflect light falling thereon back in the general direction of the incident ray, and particularly to signs of this 5 type in which a series of reflecting units outline the character to be displayed.

Such signs have commonly heretofore been made up of a series of individual, independent reflecting units mounted in the sign to outline the character to be displayed. Commonly, these units are of the catadioptric type and consist of a lens and reflector enclosed in and held together by a sheet metal casing. These individual units are mounted to outline characters and thus form a sign which is rendered luminous by reflection. The production cost of the individual reflecting units or buttons differs comparatively little with difference in size, and it is for this reason that it is uneconomical to use individual reflecting units in signs the characters of which are smaller than a minimum conventional size, say four inches. Since the buttons are a material factor in the cost of such signs, it will be appreciated that the cost of a small sign will be disproportionate to that of a large sign.

The tile type of reflector, that is, a plurality of closely adjacent reflecting units made in one composite sheet, lends itself to fabrication in the desired size and shape to form small characters, but suchmaterial is not suitable for use with the customary sign plates in which the characters are raised or embossed and distinctly colored, and have the reflecting units projecting through holes punched at suitab y frequent intervals along the outlines of the characters.

The tile type has, however, the advantage of cheapness of construction, and it is an object of this invention to provide a tile character which will be suitable for use with the customary form of sign plate.

The invention contemplates a tile which has the character formed by a series of projections on the outer face arranged to represent the character and of the proper size and relative disposi- 45 tion to protrude into the holes in the sign plate when the tile is against the back face of the plate, the rest of the face of the tile being smooth;

case in sheet form of reflectors of the catadioptric type. The invention is of course equally applicable to the catoptric tile type of reflector, and in that case the entire rear face may as usual be made reflecting, or the triple reflecting surfaces may be localized to the area immediately back of the projections on the front face.

Tile of this type and a. sign including such tile are illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in detail below from which illustration c5 and description a clearer understanding of the invention and its application may be had.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan of a tile embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section similar to Fig. 2 of a'modified form of tile embodying my invention;

Fig. 4 is a plan of a sign made up in accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the sign taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing there is illus- 0 trated a light-pervious, pressed-glass, tile 1. The several reflecting units 2 of the tile, which are arranged to outline the letter T, are made up of protuberances 2a on one surface of the tile sheet and a series of reflecting semi-spherical pro- 35 tuberances 212 on the other side of the sheet opposite the protuberances 2a. The protuberances 2a form collecting lenses and the surfaces of the semi-spherical protuberances 2b are silvered to form reflecting surfaces to cooperate with the lens protuberances. Two opposed protuberances form a reflecting unit of the type which reflect light falling thereon back in the general direction of the incident ray. Along the edge of the sheet there is formed a lateral flange 1a which flange is adapted to support the tile and serves to maintain the reflecting surfaces 2b out of contact with any support upon which the tile is mounted. 1

In Fig. 3 there is illustrated a similar tile 3. 1 0 Like the tile 1, the reflecting units 4 of the tile 3 include a series of protuberances 4a extending from one surface thereof; these protuberances are, however, merely plain cylindrical protuberances. 0n the other side of the block opposite 5 each of the protuberances 4a, there is formed a series of reflecting surfaces 4b of the triple reflector type which reflect light falling thereon back in the general direction of the incident ray.

A flange 3a similar to the flange 1a of the tile 1 serves to support the tile 3 and maintain the reflecting surfaces 42) out of contact with a support.

The sign illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is made up of two tiles such as the tile 1. The reflecting units on one or" these tiles outlines the letter N and on the other the letter Y is outlined by the reflecting units, the two tiles placed together out lining the letters NY. The two tiles are mounted between two plates, a rear supporting plate 5 and a front display plate 6. The rear supporting plate is dish-shape, bemg drawn to provide a space for the tiles. The edge of the dish-shape supporting plate 5 is bent outwardly to form a flange 5a which abuts against the front display plate. Adjacent this flange, and inwardly there-=- of, the plate is drawn to form a shoulder 52?. Within this rear plate the two blocks are mounted with the edges of the flanges thereof resting upon the bottom of the dish-shaped supporting plate.

The front display plate is a stamped sheet metal plate. Adjacent the edge of the plate, the plate is drawn to form an embossed border to. This'border. is directly opposite the shoulder 5b oi the supporting plate and bolts '7 extending through the border section and the shoulder serve. to secure the front and rear plates together. Within the border, the plate is drawn to form the embossed letters NY. Along the center line of the embossed characters, a series of spaced openings are formed through the plate which are inearners terreiated in accordance with the protuberances on the tiles. The protuberances of the tiles extend through these openings and appear as the scribed above within the principle and scope my invention as expressed in the appended clairn.

I claim:

A sign of the light reflecting type comprising a support including a rear plate and a front display plate having a series of openings therethrough arranged to outline a character to be displayed by the sign, and a light reflecting tile including a series of protuberances on one surface thereof arranged and interrelated in accordance with and extending through the openings in the front display plate, a series of reflecting surfaces on the side of the tile opposite the protuberances, the reflecting surfaces being adapted to reflect light passing through the protuberant sections of the tile back in the general direction of the incident ray, and means for holding the reflecting suriaces out of contact with the rear plate.

RICHARD W. LUCE. 

